Louise Redknapp has a “really open relationship” with her sons.
Louise Redknapp supports EE's PhoneSmart initiative
The former Eternal singer – who has Charley, 17, and Beau, 13, with ex-husband Jamie Redknapp – is able to talk to her kids about anything and doesn’t feel the need to impose many limits on their screen time or phone use because she is “confident” they will open up to her about anything negative they come across online.
She said: “I have a really open relationship with my kids and we talk about everything.
“There’s no shut off room where they can go and be on their phone or be online. My house is very open – doors open. They spend about 90% of their time sitting within a few metres of me.
“But I’m not overly strict because I feel confident that they would be the first to tell me if there was bullying or unkindness. These are the things that I think we have to teach our kids today.
“[I tell them] ‘If you ever see anything like that online, you have to come and tell me because it can really hurt people.’ I trust them on that.”
Louise does her best to model good habits at home by not using her phone too much when her sons are around.
She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “I make a really conscious effort to not be on my phone as much at home. I think it’s really important to encourage them to [do other things].”
The 47-year-old star also praised EE for their new PhoneSmart initiative, a free online programme devised in collaboration with experts from Internet Matters, and in consultation with Home-Start, ChildNet, Marie Collins Foundation and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which allows young people to obtain the tools and confidence to use phone technology safely and responsibly.
She said of the scheme: “It’s like a driving licence but it’s designed to help kids stay safe online. You can navigate yourself around the website and once your children have completed all the modules in the test they can get their PhoneSmart license.
“And I think it’s a good idea, well with my kids it seems to go in one ear and out the other – you don’t know how much they’re really taking in.
“But when you actually sit down and they’re reading it for themselves and they’re doing the activities – it kind of has to sink in. You have to give it your attention.”
To find out more about the EE PhoneSmart Licence, visit EEPhoneSmart.co.uk
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